SNAP n CHAT #9 Newcastle Quayside at Night

20 eager members congregated outside the Baltic Mill Museum on a very cold January night. Meeting time was 6:30pm, some were early and due to traffic delays some were a little late so the usual group shot was unfortunately missed this time.

Taking dramatic night-time photographs isn’t as easy as you’d think so Dave Murrell kindly volunteered to guide the less experienced members on the ‘what to do’ and ‘what not to do’. With a little patience, practice, and Dave’s tips, we were all taking great images and there were some very happy faces looking at the backs of the cameras. The more experienced members as expected showed us the stunning shots what they had already taken and shared the best locations and viewpoints throughout the night.

If there’s one thing that makes us humans feel small, it’s the stellar display arcing above our heads on a dark, clear night and this night we were also fortunate to have a Supermoon.

Chatting through the night a few of us agreed that night photography can be much more rewarding than photography during the day. Everything looks different at night, you don’t need to go somewhere exotic to get great pictures. The Sage, the bridges, and buildings were brightly lit and the streets that are rather pedestrian during the day – can make fabulous photography subjects at night. You can take your time when photographing at night, more so than during the day. There were less people out, and you don’t have to worry about the light changing, however we did have the cold to contend with. After about an hour or so a few of us agreed it was time to either go to the pub or back home to thaw out our fingers. Hard core members stayed out shooting.

The web gallery is evidence of the success and enjoyment our members had. Thank you for coming along and the next SNAP n CHAT meeting will be announced soon.